Assembly to be recalled as NI parties say MPs will vote against Brexit deal

By PA

Northern Ireland's political parties that take their seats at Westminster are set to vote against the UK-EU post-Brexit deal.

The DUP, Alliance Party and SDLP have indicated that they will not support the agreement when Parliament is recalled on Wednesday. 

The Northern Ireland Assembly is also set to be recalled on the same day to discuss the Brexit trade deal.

The Stormont Executive agreed the move in a special meeting which was held virtually on Monday afternoon.

A spokesperson said: “A special meeting of the Executive was held this afternoon to consider the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU.

“Ministers provided an initial high-level assessment of the agreement and officials will bring forward detailed analysis for Executive consideration.

“The Executive agreed that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister should write to the Speaker to ask for the Assembly to be recalled for a Take Note Debate on the Agreement that has been reached.”

The DUP has confirmed its MPs will vote against the Brexit trade deal.

“When Parliament is recalled on Wednesday, we will vote against this agreement,” the party said in a statement.

“We will do so as a point of principle and not because we supported a no-deal option. A free trade deal is better than no deal but for Northern Ireland this deal does not undo the detrimental aspects of the Protocol.

“Understandably many in Great Britain will be able to support these arrangements as applied to Great Britain but sadly for Northern Ireland we will be governed by the arrangements in the Protocol.”

DUP leader Arlene Foster said: “Whilst recognising this agreement brings about tariff and quota-free trade between the UK and the EU and thus reducing the impact on the GB to NI trade flows, we still have many negative issues arising from the Protocol.

“On that basis we will vote against this agreement. We will continue to work to mitigate the worst excesses of the separate Northern Ireland arrangements whilst exploring new opportunities for Northern Ireland.

“Our challenge going forward will be to press the Government to get a better outcome in those areas where more work is needed.

“These arrangements flowing from the protocol are of course temporary, in that the Northern Ireland Assembly will have the opportunity to revisit the protocol and vote upon it in four years’ time.”

The Alliance Party’s sole MP Stephen Farry said he has “ruled out” voting for the Brexit trade deal when the House of Commons is recalled on Wednesday.

“This is a hard version of Brexit, and this is going to have massive consequences for Northern Ireland in terms of loss of opportunities and loss of benefits that we currently have,” he added. 

“I’m not going to give legitimacy to what is in effect a hard Brexit, a Tory Brexit.

“At this stage I am going to talk over with other opposition parties to see exactly what is the best approach to take through legislation that we haven’t yet seen.”